A cake shop in Bendemeer has asked customers to stop touching its paintings hung on the wall in an Instagram (IG) post on Sunday (October 4).
The Patissier said some customers continued touching the paintings despite "Do Not Touch" signs.
The shop also said some customers had been personally told not to touch the artwork.
It shared a video to show that such incidents do happen and said the touching was gradually taking its toll on the paintings.
"We've put up signs. We've multiplied the signs. We've politely reminded people," the shop said.
"And yet, it continues."
The shop added that it was "at its wits' end" over what else they could do to protect the artwork.
They also said putting up barricades around every painting would "rather defeat the purpose" of having them there.
The Patissier ended with a simple plea: "[P]lease enjoy the paintings with your eyes, not your hands."
@asiaone The signs say “Please do not touch”. Yet some customers at dessert shop The Patissier just cannot seem to keep their hands off the paintings. #sgnews #Singapore #Dessert ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
One IG user said it was "sad" that the artwork had been affected by curious onlookers, suggesting that the paintings could be protected with glass cases.
Another IG user suggested that some customers either did not understand the "Do Not Touch" signs or simply chose to ignore them.
On Facebook, commenters suggested putting a price tag on the paintings to deter customers from touching them, with one saying: "Once touch[ed] consider [it] sold".
Another suggested displaying a price on the paintings so customers would know they had to pay if they damaged them.
The Patissier replied: "Already there. But at $500 [per] piece, maybe [that is] not enough deterrent."
Responding to a suggestion to remove the paintings, the bakery said they added "a bit of character" to the plain wall and were previously displayed at its Taipei store.
The Patissier told AsiaOne that the paintings have been on display at its Tyrwhitt Road store for about six months, after previously adorning the walls of its former Taipei store.
The bakery said the paintings hold sentimental value as they serve as a reminder of an earlier chapter in its history.
The business added that the repeated touching had caused "cumulative damage" to the paintings' textured surfaces. In one incident, a young boy began pulling on a painting and nearly dislodged it from the wall before staff intervened.
The Patissier also stressed that its social media post was not intended to "name and shame anyone", but to explain why "Do Not Touch" signs had been placed beside the artworks.
Despite this, The Patissier said it would rather continue displaying the paintings than place them behind protective barriers, urging customers to "please resist the temptation to run your fingers over them".
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helmy.saat@asiaone.com
